Chrysanthemum named Free Spirit

ABSTRACT

A greenhouse chrysanthemum cultivar of the pot plant type originated as a sport of the variety &#34;Spirit&#34; and distinguished by its large, generally white blooms having quilled ray florets which project radially from an upstanding group of inner florets having a pale yellow cast.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

This new chrysanthemum was discovered by me in November 1976 in a fieldof the variety "Spirit" (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,813) being grown ingreenhouse at West Chicago, Ill., in connection with breeding effortscarried on with the object of developing new and improved chrysanthemumvarieties for the commercial market. Because of the novelcharacteristics of this sport, it was reproduced by me by means ofcuttings and subsequent propagation of this new plant by vegetativecuttings has shown its novel features to hold true from generation togeneration and to appear to be firmly fixed. Propagation of this newvariety on a commercial scale is now being done at Cortez, Fla., and atWest Chicago, Ill.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

My new chrysanthemum cultivar is illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings, one sheet of which is a photographic view in full color madein June 1978 and showing a potted plant in full bloom, and the secondsheet being a print of a machine copy of typical leaves of the new plantat several stages of maturity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

The following is a detailed description of the new chrysanthemum varietywith color designations according to The R.H.S. Colour Chart publishedby The Royal Horticultural Society of London, England.

THE PLANT

Origin: Sport.

Parentage: "Spirit", Plant Pat. No. 3,813.

Classification:

Botanic.--Chrysanthemum morifolium.

Commercial.--Greenhouse pot plant.

Form: Perennial herbaceous bush.

Height: 30-34 cm.

Growth: Terminal, upright and vigorous, sturdy and with very goodstrength.

Branching: Normal, sturdy and strong under natural conditions.

Foliage:

Quantity.--Abundant with 5 to 7 leaves on about 10 cm. of stem length.

Leaf size.--Length -- about 6.2 to 10.1 cm. Width -- 2.9 to 6.5 cm.

Leaf shape.--Lobed, lanceolate and slightly serrated.

Surface aspect.--Canescent.

Color.--Upper side -- 147A. Under side -- 147B.

Venation.--Pinnately veined.

Petioles.--Length -- about 1.2 to 2.2 cm.

THE BUD

Form: Globular.

Size: 1.2 to 1.5 cm. in diameter and about 0.8 to 1.1 cm. in depth.

Opening Rate: The bud opens slowly.

Color:

When phyllaries first divide.--145B.

When florets begin to unfurl.--8D.

Phyllaries: The outside of the receptacle bears many involucral bractswhich are upstanding and spear-shaped.

Color.--Inside -- 137A. Outside -- 137B.

Surface aspect.--Pubescent.

Penduncle: Erect, very strong and about 2.0 to 2.4 cm. in length.

Surface aspect.--Pubescent.

THE FLOWER

Flowering capability: Recommended for year-around flowering withphotoperiod control.

Response.--9 weeks.

Natural flowering season.--October 27 to November 5.

Blooms:

Flower type.--Composite and quilled.

Size.--Large. Diameter -- about 12.0 to 13.5 cm. Depth -- about 4.5 to5.5 cm.

Borne.--Singly when disbudded and in multiples when grown as a sprayplant.

Shape.--When bloom first opens -- cup-shaped. As the bloom matures -- ittends to flatten out.

Florets.--Numerous in number.

Form.--Quilled.

    ______________________________________                                                       May       June                                                 ______________________________________                                        Color--  Outer florets:                                                                 Upper side -                                                                             155D        155D                                                   Under side -                                                                             155D        155D                                                  Inside florets:                                                                Upper side -                                                                             11D and 155D                                                                              11D and 155D                                           Reverse side -                                                                           11D and 155D                                                                              11D and 155D                                 Tonality at a distance of about 2 meters:                                     Between 11D and 155D.                                                         ______________________________________                                    

Firmness.--Medium.

Appearance.--Very slight shine.

Discoloration.--None.

Persistence.--The florets hang on and dry.

Peduncle.--Sturdy and upright. Length: About 2.0 to 2.4 cm. Color: 147B.

Fragrance.--Typical chrysanthemum.

Lasting quality.--On the plant -- 3 weeks. The blooms of this plant arenot recommended for cut flower use.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens:

Arrangement.--Syngenesious. Number -- 5.

Filaments.--About 2 to 4 mm. in length.

Color.--Light yellow.

Pollen.--Color -- yellow.

Pistils: Number -- 1 to each ray and disc floret.

Styles.--4 to 6 mm. in length.

Stigma.--Color -- yellow.

Ovaries: Inferior, bicarpellate.

This new cultivar of potted chrysanthemum, when compared to its parent,is particularly characterized by its quill-shaped ray florets whichradiate from an upstanding group of inner florets and appear as thoughlying in a more-or-less flat plane. This new variety has a slightlytaller plant habit, averaging about 4 cm. taller than its parent, and isotherwise quite similar to its parent in its general growthcharacteristics and form.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of chrysanthemum pot plant,substantially as herein shown and described, particularly characterizedin uniqueness, when compared with its parent "Spirit", by itsquill-shaped ray florets which project in a radial fashion from anupstanding group of the inner or disc florets.